Tribal Affairs Minister, Javed Ahmed Rana, today hailed the government’s decision to designate the Tribal Affairs Department as the Nodal Department for implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 across Jammu & Kashmir.

Describing the move as a historic and corrective intervention, the Minister emphasized that this is a landmark step, reflecting the long-standing aspirations of tribal communities. This will ensure a more community-centric, accessible and responsive institutional mechanism for implementation of FRA, he added.

 Rana highlighted that transferring FRA responsibilities from the Forest Department to the Tribal Affairs Department will usher in fair, transparent and time-bound recognition of individual and community forest rights. He added that this decision marks a significant milestone achieved under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment towards advancing tribal welfare, the Minister assured that every necessary step will be taken to ensure the benefits of FRA reach every eligible tribal family across Jammu & Kashmir.